19 December 2024, UNHQ, New York – The United Nations Security Council convened, under the agenda item “Maintenance of international peace and security”, for a high-level briefing on Artificial Intelligence (AI), under the chairmanship of H.E. Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State, as part of the United States’ December Presidency.
The session featured interventions from the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres; Yann LeCun, Chief AI Scientist at Meta’s Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) team; and Fei-Fei Li, Professor in the Computer Science Department at Stanford University and Co-Director of Stanford’s Human-Centered AI Institute.
The meeting addressed the responsible development and governance of AI, particularly its implications for international peace and security. Building on prior UNSC discussions, the adoption of the UN Pact of the Future and its annex, the Global Digital Compact, as well as global debates, the briefing explored ways to mitigate risks, narrow digital divides, and establish safeguards, particularly in the military domain.
In his remarks, UN Secretary General underscored both the transformative potential and significant risks posed by AI. Highlighting its applications in conflict prevention and humanitarian aid, he cautioned against its misuse in military operations and emphasized the erosion of human oversight in decision-making processes. The Secretary General further reiterated the urgent need for robust international governance, anchored in ethical principles and international law, to mitigate risks like AI-enabled cyberattacks and the integration of AI with nuclear weapons.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM), holding the IGO Permanent Observer Status at the United Nations General Assembly since 2009, contributed to the meeting by sharing with all the Members of the Security Council its recently published report entitled “The Malicious Use of AI and Emerging Technologies by Terrorist and Criminal Groups: Impact on Security, Legislation, and Governance”, developed by the PAM Centre for Global Studies (CGS), in collaboration with the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT). The report also benefitted from an in-depth peer review carried our with the assistance of, inter alia, Amazon, INTERPOL, Media Duemila, NATO, The Policy Center for the New South, and the Global Research Network (GRN) of CTED.
The live-document, published on 28 November 2024 and presented earlier this week at the 19th UN Internet Governance Forum in Riyadh, offers a comprehensive set of recommendations for MPs aimed at addressing the misuse of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. Moreover, PAM established a Permanent Global Parliamentary Observatory on AI and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), serviced by CGS, and publishes a daily and weekly Digest to disseminate news, trends, and analyses on technological developments, ensuring that legislators and stakeholders remain informed.
The Assembly, which was elected on 6 December at the Presidency of the UN Coordination Mechanism for PAs on Counter-terrorism, has already made a significant contribution to the UN Summit of the Future, held last September in NY, and remains steadfast in its commitment to advancing the recommendations of the UN Pact for the Future among its Member States.
In line with this objective, and as announced by Ambassador Dr. Abdulsalam AlMadani, PAM’s Roving Ambassador for the GCC and Chairman of CGS, PAM is considering with CGS the organization of a series of parliamentary events in 2025, focusing on Artificial Intelligence (AI), trust-building, and global governance. These initiatives will foster dialogue, strengthen international cooperation, and promote effective policy frameworks in response to the evolving challenges and opportunities posed by AI and emerging technologies.//